This paper examined the effect of work environment on job satisfaction with the spotlight on a merchant bank in Ghana. Among other objectives, the paper set out to ascertain the impact of physical and mental environment on employees' performance, to know the overall satisfaction level of employees in the bank and study whether physical, social and psychological work environment affect job satisfaction. Stratified sampling technique was adopted to select the sample for the study. Questionnaire was used as the research instrument while Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was employed to analyze the data gathered from the field study. Findings of the study indicated that most of the staff at the bank are satisfied with their work environment especially the physical ambiance. The paper concludes that the environment has a significant effect on employees' satisfaction. The findings of the paper emphasize the need for management to improve the work environment of employees to boost productivity.

The linkages between international trade and economic performance has received significant attention from policymakers and researchers. There is consensus in the literature that improved trade openness corresponds to improved economic growth. In this study, we argue that trade openness has a significant impact on population health outcomes and financing. The study employed a balanced panel data for 42 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries over the period 1995-2013. Population health status was measured by total life expectancy at birth, infant mortality rate and under-five mortality rate. Three main estimation models were used: (1) fixed effect (FE); (2) random effect (RE); and (3) the generalized method of moments (GMM) in estimating the relationships. The results showed that trade openness has a positive and significant effect on life expectancy, a negative and significant effect on the infant mortality rate and a negative impact of trade openness on the underfive mortality rate. A positive effect of trade openness on health financing was also realized. The findings of the study support international trade integration and emphasize the need for countries to be conscious of gains from trade within sub-sectors of the economy.

This paper examined the role of psychological contract on organisational behaviour and organisational commitment. A case study approach of research design was adopted in gathering data from 65 respondents from a public university in Ghana. Stratified random sampling method was employed to group the respondents into strata. Purposive sampling method was then employed to select the respondents for the study. The field data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results from the study showed that commitment between employer and employees depend on the fulfilment of the perceived expectations between the two parties. Again, the study pointed out that majority of the employees would leave the organisation if their perceived expectations were not met. The study recommended that aside the written conditions of contract, employees must behave appropriately so that they will get the best from management.

Out-of-pocket payments for health are considered a major limitation to universal health coverage (UHC). Policymakers across the globe are committed to achieving UHC through the removal of financial barriers to health care. In Ghana, a national health insurance scheme was established for this purpose. A unique feature of the scheme is its premium exemption policies for vulnerable groups. In this article, we access the nature of socioeconomic inequality in these exemption policies. We used data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey rounds six and seven. Socioeconomic inequality was assessed using concentration curves and indices. Real household annual total consumption expenditure adjusted by adult equivalence scale was used as a wealth indicator. Four categories of exemption were used as outcome variables. These were exemptions for indigents, individuals <18 years, the aged and free maternal service. The analysis was also disaggregated by rural and urban locations of individuals. We found that while overall national health insurance scheme (NHIS) coverage was concentrated among the wealthy, all categories of premium exemption were concentrated among the poor. There was also evidence of a general decline in the magnitude of inequality over the survey years. With the specific exemptions, inequalities in exemption for indigents and maternal services were most relevant in rural locations, while inequalities in exemption for individuals <18 years and the aged were significant in urban areas. The findings suggest that the exemption policies under the NHIS are generally progressive and achieve the objective of inclusion for the underprivileged. However, it also provides lessons for better targeting and effective implementation. There may be a need for separate efforts to better target individuals in rural and urban locations to improve enrolment.